The Kia K900 Years To Avoid
Kia K900 by Chu - CC-BY-SA-4.0
The Kia K900 was the Korean automaker’s short-lived attempt at targeting the U.S. luxury sedan market. Sold on American shores for the 2015 through 2020 model years, the K900 can still be found as a used car. With this in mind, we’ll explore the Kia K900 years to avoid by highlighting a year-by-year breakdown. But first, let’s review the curious history of the brand’s efforts to take on BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus.
Kia’s Premium Push
Jump back a decade to ask an ordinary American their thoughts about the Kia brand, and you’re likely to get a “cheap, economy cars” response or something similar. To counter this perception, Kia launched its K900 flagship with the BMW 7-Series, Mercedes S-Class, and Lexus LS in its sights. Sold as the K9 in many overseas markets, the model nomenclature was changed to K900 in North America to avoid a “canine” connection.
THE MOST RELIABLE YEAR FOR THE KIA K900
If you’re trying to determine the most reliable Kia K900 year, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading to learn more information.
Unveiled to great fanfare at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, the K900 emphasized premium interior materials, ample rear-seat legroom, and an available V8 engine (a Kia first). Debuting as a 2015 model, the K900 started at $55,000, undercutting its German and Japanese rivals by tens of thousands of dollars.
To be fair, the development of the K900 wasn’t all on Kia’s shoulders, as the car shared the underpinnings and powertrains with the Hyundai Equus and Hyundai Genesis sedans. Hyundai is the parent company of Kia.
Despite two generations, the K900 failed to gain significant traction in the U.S. Luxury-minded consumers still associated premier sedans with other brands. And while sales of the K900 were modest (about 6,200 units in total), the K900 helped shatter preconceptions about the Kia brand. Today, spending $50,000 or more on an upscale Kia Telluride SUV or all-electric EV6 doesn’t seem so far-fetched.
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Kia K900 Years To Avoid: The Breakdown
With so few U.S. sales, pinpointing precise information about which Kia K900 years to avoid is challenging. We’ve combed through data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), carcomplaints.com, Consumer Reports, J.D. Power, and RepairPal. As a result, we’ve come up with K900 model-year recommendations. Admittedly, this guidance is based on limited reports, so we’ll put our “educated guess” hat on and make some assumptions for some of the model years.
Kia K900: First Generation (2015-2018)
Kia introduced the K900 with a choice of engines, a 3.8-liter V6 making 311 horsepower and a 5.0-liter V8 producing 420 horsepower. For the time being, rear-wheel drive was the sole setup for the car (all-wheel drive would come later). Under a “Fit for a King” banner, Kia launched an aggressive K900 marketing program featuring NBA star LeBron James.
Styling embraced Kia’s signature tiger nose front end and body lines that can be traced to the down-market Optima and Cadenza sedans. The K900’s looks neither excited nor offended. Arguably, the lack of distinction and absence of brand cachet doomed the company’s luxury car efforts.
2015 Kia K900
Avoid or Buy? Play it safe; skip this year.
Among the Kia K900 years to avoid, the 2015 model year belongs at the top of the list. It has more complaints on file with NHTSA than any other K900 model year. Plus, it tops the charts at carcomplaints.com.
We generally advise skipping the first year of an all-new car, and the 2015 K900 certainly qualifies. Looking elsewhere avoids the risk of first-year gremlins and other surprises that often get worked out in subsequent years.
Owner reports center on airbag and electrical system issues; a single recall covers troublesome headlights. None of the problems involve critical systems (like the engine or transmission) but hint at nuisance areas that can lead to a disappointing ownership experience.
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2016 Kia K900
Avoid or Buy? A cautious buy.
The 2016 K900 is a study in contrasts. There are hardly any reports on file with carcomplaints.com or NHTSA, which is good. Plus, these complaints are scattered among several categories, indicating the lack of a pattern or concentrated trouble area.
However, there are two recalls. One covers flickering headlights (that also affected the 2015 K900), but a more severe recall arises involving a possible engine compartment file. Kia reports that an electrical short in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit can ignite a fire in the engine bay. The repair is simple (a new fuse) and free. Yet, the recall is relatively new (September 2022), so not all affected units may have been repaired. Use the NHTSA website to check the status of any recall or related repair.
Assuming the recalls are addressed, the 2016 Kia K900 is worth adding to your shopping list.
2017 Kia K900
Avoid or Buy? Inspect, then buy.
Kia’s recall for a possible engine compartment fire also applies to the 2017 K900. If this has been resolved, then this model year is another example to consider. There are a total of two complaints reported to NHTSA dealing with brake issues. Otherwise, there’s nothing bad to say about this example. As with any used car, have a qualified mechanic inspect a 2017 K900 before buying.
2018 Kia K900
Avoid or Buy? A post-recall buy.
Except for the recall covering the engine compartment fire risk, the 2018 K900 gets a clean bill of health. Neither NHTSA nor carcomplaints.com shows any negative feedback about this car. It’s a buy based on the recall repair being taken care of.
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Kia K900: Second Generation (2019-20120)
Kia launched an all-new second-generation K900 for the 2019 model. Rear-wheel drive is tossed aside in favor of standard all-wheel drive. The pair of engines from the previous edition are also dropped in favor of a twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6 making 365 horsepower. A larger touchscreen and more driver safety features are among the many improvements.
2019 Kia K900
Avoid or Buy? Take a pass.
There’s no overwhelming evidence pointing to reliability issues with the 2019 K900. Three complaints about the engine are as bad as it gets. As of this writing, there are no recalls, either. But, our skip-the-first year of new design advice applies here. If you want a second-generation K900, buy the 2020 edition.
2019 Kia K900
Avoid or Buy? A last-chance buy.
There’s nothing to report about the 2020 Kia 2020; no recalls or complaints. We’ll take this silence as a golden opportunity to put a K900 in your driveway. This is the final year of the K900 in the U.S.
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